Truth So Pure
by LEMONSKY4
Summary: At 22, Severus Snape never expected to be married. Neither did Elspeth Bryony. Marriage Law fic set after Wizarding War 1. Snape/OC; OC/OC; Lucius/Narcissa
1. Chapter 1: Meddling Ministry Morons

**Hello everyone. This, as you might have noticed, is another Marriage Law fic. But, set after the first Wizarding War. I'm not sure if I'll continue with this story or not, depending on the response this gets. Hopefully you enjoy it and forgive my Snape for being so.. un-Snape like.. He's only 22 years old!**

* * *

Severus Snape stared at the letter in pure, unadulterated disgust. Damn those Ministry meddling morons. At age twenty-two, marriage was the last thing on his mind. But with this awful Marriage Proclamation the Wizengamot had just passed, it appeared he had no choice in the matter.

_Professor Severus Snape,_

_Due to the devastating death toll of the recent wizarding war, the Wizengamot has issued a Marriage Proclamation. Under this proclamation, muggle-borns and half-bloods between the ages of seventeen to forty are required to marry the muggle-born/half-blood witch/wizard of the Ministry's choice. These matches have been carefully selected. The marriage must take place within six months of the couple being notified. A child must be produced within the first two years of marriage. Extenuating circumstances may occur. Failure to comply with the proclamation will result in the breaking of your wand and a life sentence in Azkaban. _

_Your match is: Elspeth Bryony_

_Yours sincerely,_

_Enid Jones_

_Department of Marital Affairs_

Severus read over the letter several times as he allowed his fate to sink in. He didn't fail to notice how purebloods were excluded from this Marriage Law. He would bet ten galleons that Lucius Malfoy had something to do with that. Still grumbling over everything, he began to think about his newly acquired fiancee Elspeth Bryony. The name did ring a bell, and thankfully not as one of his students. She was a Ravenclaw a year younger than him. He knew he should consider himself lucky for not having to marry one of his students. That lifted his spirits somewhat, but not by much. He still didn't want to get married. At all.

He wondered what Miss Bryony was thinking about their situation.

Elspeth sat at her small kitchen table in the flat she shared with her older sister, Fenella. Their parents had died during the war and they decided to stay close to one another. She was briefly wondering what was taking Ella so long in getting the post from the owls as her sister entered their small kitchen with a serious expression.

"Fenella, what's wrong?" Elspeth asked.

"Remember the Marriage Proclamation the Wizengamot was trying to pass?" the elder girl prompted quietly.

The younger girl nodded silently, not liking where this conversation was going.

"They passed it," Fenella said before thrusting an envelope towards her younger sister.

Elspeth took her time in opening her letter. Her eyes immediately jumped towards the part where her match was revealed. She stared at the name in puzzlement. She didn't know that much about him, to be honest. He was a year above her and a Slytherin. He mostly kept to himself.

"Who's your match?" Elspeth finally asked.

"Albert Davis," Fenella said, smiling slightly. He was a fellow Ravenclaw from her year and they'd always been friendly.

"What about you?"

"Severus Snape," Elspeth whispered quietly.

"I believe we both have some letters to write," Fenella said quite loudly compared to their previous quiet tones.

Elspeth nodded in agreement before getting up from her seat. She was glad it was a Saturday and didn't work today. She needed time to let this sink in. She didn't know if she should be jumping for joy or running away screaming. Who _was _Severus Snape?

Severus was surprised to find an owl tapping at his window. He wasn't expecting anymore post today, but then remembered he had a fiancee. Sighing, he quickly took the letter from the owl's leg and fed it a treat. When it didn't leave, he knew it was waiting for a response.

_Severus,_

_Is it alright if I call you Severus? We never really crossed paths in school, so I fear this will be a little awkward. Due to our current situation, I think it would be best if we met up for tea sometime soon. Please let me know if you find this agreeable. _

_Yours,_

_Elspeth_

Severus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't like this one bit, but not enough to find Azkaban appealing.

"Better to get this out of the way sooner rather than later," he mumbled to the owl before replying in the affirmative and asking if she would meet him at the Three Broomsticks at three.

Elspeth walked into the Three Broomsticks at precisely three o'clock and found him already sitting at a table. Even though they never really spoke during their time at Hogwarts together, she remembered what he looked like. It appeared he hadn't changed all that much, appearance wise. His pale skin contrasted sharply with his black clothing and hair. His face revealed no emotions and Elspeth's stomach clenched at that observation. That Slytherin mask of his was going to make things difficult, that's for sure.

She almost stopped walking when another thought came to her. He was also a Death Eater. Well, a former one, but a Death Eater nonetheless. Elspeth was about to run out when another thought came to her. Dumbledore allowed him to be the Potions Professor. If Dumbledore thought he was safe enough to teach kids, he couldn't be so bad.

Severus watched the emotions flit across Elspeth's face. She looked almost the same as she did back in school. She was on the petite side, her dark brown almost black hair fell down to her shoulder blades. Her brown eyes held so much emotion.

Soon enough, she finally approached the table he was occupying and he motioned for her to take a seat. She nervously slid into the seat across from him. They both remained silent, staring at each other.

"Uhm, hi," Elspeth blurted out.

Severus arched an eyebrow at her before responding, "Hello, Miss Bryony."

Elspeth blushed, feeling embarrassed that she wasn't handling the situation as gracefully as he was. No one continued the conversation any further and Elspeth couldn't stand it any longer.

"Oh for goodness sake! This is ridiculous," Elspeth muttered, much to Severus' amusement.

"I'm guessing you didn't plan out what you were going to say when we met?" Severus asked.

She stared at him pointedly, "No, I just forgot that you're an emotionless Slytherin."

Severus just glared at her, his amusement gone.

"We're going to have to work on that, you know," she stated.

He didn't respond and continued glaring at her. She sighed.

Severus awkwardly cleared his throat, "How have you been spending your time since graduation?"

"I'm a Healer at St. Mungo's," Elspeth said smiling. She really did love being a Healer.

"Which Ward specifically?" Severus asked.

"Artefact Accidents and sometimes the Potions and Plant Poisoning Ward, depending on how understaffed they are," she said.

Severus looked at her impressed. She had to be especially driven to be able to work in two different wards.

"How's teaching Potions? You were absolutely brilliant in school," Elspeth said.

"It's not as fun as you'd think. Most of the time I'm making sure no one causes any extreme accidents in my classroom. None of my students are as advanced as I was as a student," Severus said, with a slight bite to his tone.

"I remember in my third year, I tried asking you to tutor me in Potions," Elspeth said suddenly.

Severus stared at her, not remembering this happening.

"Well, it was common knowledge that you were the best in the entire school, and even though I did well in Potions, I wanted some extra help. I remember approaching you about it. You told me to leave you the hell alone. So I did," Elspeth said the last part quietly.

Severus had the decency to look a little sheepish, "That sounds about right."

The pair remained silent for awhile before Severus spoke up.

"What are your current living arrangements?" he asked.

"I live in a flat with my older sister, Fenella. Our parents died in the war, so we've only got each other. You have living quarters at Hogwarts, right?" Elspeth asked.

Severus managed to barely cover up the wince when she mentioned her parents dying. He wasn't personally responsible for their deaths, but he knew who was.

"Yes, I do. After we're married, it'd be the most convenient if you moved in with me. You'd be able to Floo to St. Mungo's from my fireplace," he said.

"What about during the summer holidays? Do you have another home?" she asked.

"I do have another home, but it isn't the most comfortable home in the world. We can buy a new house if you'd like," he said stiffly.

"Oh, that won't be necessary. We'll live at my parents' cottage," she said.

"Won't your sister mind?"

"I don't think so, since she'll have a husband of her own as well. She'll move in with him or whatever," she said offhandedly.

Severus nodded. They only needed to discuss when they would actually be getting married.

"I don't need a big wedding," Elspeth said suddenly.

"Are you sure? Most girls would want to go all out for their weddings," Severus said, somewhat shocked.

She shrugged, "I'm not like most girls. Besides, what's the point in making a huge fuss about getting married to someone I don't love, let alone even know?"

"Touché," Snape said quietly.

The pair remained silent for awhile.

"So, when do you want to get married?" Snape finally asked before taking a sip of his firewhiskey.

Elspeth shrugged, "To be honest, we could get married today. But I think tomorrow would be best. How does that sound?"

Snape sputtered, his firewhiskey going down the wrong pipe.

"_Well, she certainly doesn't waste any time," _he thought as he tried to recover.

"Are you alright?"

Snape nodded fiercely in the affirmative.

"If that's too soon, we can wait a bit longer, if you'd like," Elspeth said shyly.

Once Snape finally recovered, he shook his head, "Tomorrow is fine, better to get it out of the way as soon as possible."

Elspeth smiled slightly, "Oh, good. That'll give me some time to pack and move my things in with you."

Snape nodded, "Well, I'll meet you in the Ministry Atrium at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I'll need to discuss this with Dumbledore."

Knowing she was being dismissed, she quietly said her goodbyes. No point in getting into a fight before they were even married. Walking out of the Three Broomsticks, she let out a sigh of relief. That could have been much, much worse.

Severus Snape waited a couple minutes before he too left the pub. He was deep in thought as he slowly walked back to the castle. He wondered what Albus thought about the new proclamation. He would probably probably say something along the lines of '_although the law itself is not ideal, you might actually benefit from this marriage.'_

Severus scowled as he pulled his cloak tight around him. Although he was being to Miss Bryony, he thought of their upcoming nuptials as an annoyance. He couldn't think of any benefits.

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**A.N: If I do continue this story, my Snape will be rather hot and cold. At this point, I feel he hasn't completely controlled his emotions entirely yet (its only been a year since Lily's death) and hasn't matured (if you could say that) to be the cold and distant Snape we meet in the first HP. Hopefully you enjoyed this and please leave a review! :)**


	2. Chapter 2: A Pretty Sickle

**Here is the next chapter! As usual, I own nothing.**

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Hours after meeting with Elspeth, Severus found himself having tea in the headmaster's office. The old man appeared to be in a jovial mood, which caused Severus' mood to darken.

"Care to enlighten me as to why you have unexpectedly joined me for tea?" Albus asked as he poured himself a cup before handing the pot over to the young Potions Master.

"I'm sure you're undoubtedly aware of the law the Wizengamot passed," Severus grumbled, knowing full well that as a member of the Wizengamot Albus was completely aware of it.

The headmaster hummed in response, not making a comment on it. His lack of a comment irritated the younger wizard immensely.

"I'm sure you're also aware that I am subject to this new proclamation," Snape continued, keeping the irritation out of his voice quite well.

"Who is your intended?" Albus asked, taking a delicate sup from his tea cup. If Severus knew any better, he would've sworn that the man was trying to fight back a smile.

"Elspeth Bryony," Severus stated simply, his tone nor face revealing no emotion.

"A bright girl, if I do recall. You won't lack in stimulating conversation," Albus said positively.

"_If we get past the awkward stage,"_ Snape thought.

He thought back to the conversation he had with Elspeth earlier in the day. It was a bit stunted, to say the least.

"When do you plan on getting married?" Albus asked picking up a biscuit from the tea tray.

Setting his cup back onto its saucer, Severus waited a moment before replying.

"Tomorrow morning."

Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up into his hairline, "Not wasting any time are you?"

Severus shrugged, not really wanting to give a comment.

"I was wondering about my accommodations, actually. Do we have any quarters that are suitable for two?" Severus asked, changing the subject.

Dumbledore shook his head, "The wonderful thing about our quarters is that they magically expand to make room for a spouse or children."

Severus nodded, glad he didn't have to move to another part of the castle. He enjoyed having his quarters near the dungeons. Finishing his cup of tea, he prepared to leave the headmaster.

"Try to make the best of this, Severus. Keep in mind that this won't be easy for Elspeth either," Dumbledore said, the twinkle from his eyes gone.

Severus scowled, but Albus knew that Severus had absorbed what he had said.

[~]

Elspeth lounged on the floor of her living room with a glass of wine in her hand. Earlier that evening, she and Fenella had decided to splurge and went out to one of the fanciest restaurants they've ever been to in their entire lives. When Elspeth protested at seeing the prices on the menu, Fenella quietly told her to hush.

"Tonight is the last night that we'll both be single together. Let's do it in style!" the elder girl reasoned.

Elspeth reluctantly agreed when she saw the look her older sister was giving her - it was a look that dared her to contradict her. Knowing when the fight was lost before it had even begun, Elspeth gave in. Then without further ado, Fenella and Elspeth dropped a pretty sickle at the posh wizarding restaurant.

The two girls had finished packing everything up earlier in the day and now lounged in the living room listening to the wireless.

"When's Albert moving in?" Elspeth asked, fingering the rim of her wine glass.

"Sometime in the next month or so," Fenella said, pouring more wine into her glass.

About the same time Severus and Elspeth were conversing at the Three Broomsticks, Albert and Fenella were talking at the Leaky Cauldron. It was decided that he would move in with Fenella until they found a home of their own. They were definitely taking things slower.

Elspeth nodded before finishing her wine.

"I'm going to miss you, Ella," she said quietly, looking up at her older sister.

Ella paused in her drinking and set her glass down onto the end table. Grabbing one of her sister's hands, she gently squeezed it. Ella and Ellie had always been close, and now the fact that both of them were getting married so soon was hard to cope with.

"It's not like we're never going to see each other again," Ella said quietly.

"I know, but things won't be the same," Ellie said just as quietly.

"Don't be too upset, Ellie. Things won't be so bad," Ella said, a little louder than before.

Ellie nodded, before asking for the bottle of wine.

"Getting pissed the night before you get married is poor form," Ella said, yet still handing her the wine bottle.

"This is my second glass!" Ellie said.

Ella snorted into her glass, "Did you forget about the two glasses you consumed at the restaurant?"

Ellie looked thoughtful before shrugging. She continued pouring her fourth glass of wine. The sisters continued talking for a couple more hours before Fenella shooed her younger sister off to bed.

"You'll need all the sleep you can get, especially if you don't want a raging hangover tomorrow morning," Fenella said, a hint of humor in her voice.

"You mean we're all out of hangover potion?!" Elspeth said, slightly slurring.

Fenella hummed in response before letting out a laugh.

"I'm going to feel positively horrid in the morning!" Elspeth moaned as she trudged along to her bedroom.

"Its not like your husband-to-be will be any better," Fenella grumbled quietly.

The one thing Fenella remembered about Severus Snape was his lack of a sunny disposition. She hoped for her sister's sake that his cloudy disposition would somewhat dissipate.

[~]

Elspeth found herself in the Ministry Atrium at precisely nine o'clock. She had a pounding headache and had every intention of stocking up on some more hangover potion at the apothecary once she and Severus had been wed. Shivering slightly, she pulled her blue blazer closer to her body. Now starting to fidget, she smoothed down the hem of her cream colored dress. Looking through the crowd, she saw Severus making her way towards her. He was dressed all in black and his face was emotionless as usual. She briefly wondered if he would ever look at her with _some_ emotion. She hastily brushed that thought aside when he finally reached her.

"Severus," she greeted quietly.

"Miss Bryony," he replied back.

Motioning for her to walk in front of him, Severus directed her through the crowd and towards the Marriage License Office. After they jointly filled out a form, they had to wait in a stuffy sitting room. Elspeth let out a frustrated huff after waiting for about ten minutes.

"We're the only ones in here!" she huffed quietly.

She felt Severus shift in his chair and heard him mutter something along the lines of "patience is a virtue." Elspeth huffed again and heard a low chuckle. Five minutes later, they were called into a small office and then ten minutes later they were legally husband and wife. No kissing the bride or walking down the aisle occurred. All it took was signing a marriage certificate with two witnesses from the Ministry. They were given two standard gold wedding bands.

She watched Severus hastily put his on and feeling slightly put out, she slowly slipped hers on.

"_Get a grip, girl! Did you honestly think he would put the ring on for you?_" Elspeth thought before quickly pushing it to the back of her mind.

"Elspeth Snape," she murmured quietly, looking down at her hand.

Looking up she saw her husband staring at her with an unreadable expression. Offering a small smile, she hoped in vain that he would return it.

He didn't.

In the blink of an eye he swept out of the room and muttering a quick thank you to the Ministry officials, she hastily sought to catch up with her husband.

[~]

Later n that evening found Elspeth lounging on the sofa of Severus' - _their_ quarters. She was leafing through the latest potions magazine. She only found it mildly interesting as her mind was still reeling from the events that had taken place.

Once they walked out of the Ministry, they briefly parted ways, planning on meeting back at Hogwarts for lunch. Severus gave her a tour of their quarters and left her to her own devices for the most part. They had a quiet lunch in their quarters. Elspeth spent the rest of her afternoon combining her book collection with Severus'. From her work experience with dark objects, she knew to steer clear of the bookshelf to the left of the fireplace. She noticed Severus watching her stare at the bookshelf.

"I'm not a half-wit, Severus. I can sense the dark magic," she said, rolling her eyes.

Severus remained silent, returning to his grading. Soon enough dinner rolled around and he stood up from his desk and walked towards her.

"I'm going down to dinner, you're welcome to join me," Severus said.

Elspeth looked at the huge trunk of books she had left and sighed. It appeared that Severus had quite the elaborate organizing system and she knew he would be peeved if she just placed her books wherever she pleased.

"I'll ask the House-elves to bring me something or I'll raid the kitchens. I want to finish this up," she said rolling up her sleeves.

Severus nodded, "I have a couple of detentions tonight and I have my rounds. I'll be back late."

"Have a nice dinner, Severus," she said quietly, giving him a small smile.

"Thank you, Elspeth," he said, a hint of a smile on his face.

"_Maybe things won't be too bad between us," _she thought quietly before heading back to work.

The clock on the mantle chimed the half-hour and Elspeth found herself yawning. She didn't work until tomorrow evening, but she decided that good night's sleep was in order. Neatly placing the magazine onto the coffee table, she silently made her way towards the bedroom. Slipping into her pajamas, she stared at the queen sized bed.

Which side did Severus prefer?

Shrugging, she went towards the left side of the bed. It shouldn't be much too long until Severus arrived, she wondered if she should wait up for him or not. Her internal debate was for nothing as she felt her eyes get heavier and within five minutes she was asleep.

She woke up about an hour or so later to the sound of drawers being opened. Turning onto her other side, she observed Severus grab some pajamas.

"I didn't mean to wake you," he said quietly, sliding the drawer shut.

"Don't worry about it. How were your detentions?" she asked as she watched him walk into the bathroom to change.

"Surprisingly productive. I got a lot of grading done and the students cleaned the cauldrons competently. Even my evening patrols went smoothly," he said, emerging from the bathroom.

He silently put his teaching robes back into his wardrobe. Once everything was put into place, he started leaving the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

Pausing in the doorway, he turned to look at her.

"I'm sleeping on the couch," he stated plainly.

"Don't be ridiculous! There's plenty of room for the both of us!" she said, sitting up. She was fully awake now.

Severus sighed, but didn't move towards the bed.

"For Merlin's sake, we're _married_, Sev," she said slightly annoyed.

The look on Severus' face was completely murderous. His hands were flexing as if he was restraining himself from hitting something.

"Don't call me _that_ ever again!" he snarled before slamming the bedroom door shut.

Anger coursing through her, she quickly flung the blankets off and grabbed the pillows next to her. Wrenching the door open, she entered the living room and threw the pillows at her husband, who was sitting on the couch, with all her might. She then proceeded to use colorful vocabulary that would have caused her father to blush before retreating back into her bedroom.

Now alone in the bedroom, the adrenaline left her completely. Tears replaced the anger.

"_Things were going so well between us. Is he always so hot and cold? Was our marriage doomed from the start?" _she despaired before dissolving into a fit of sobs.

She didn't fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning.

His wife's cries haunted Severus.

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**A.N: Trouble in paradise already... Tell me what you think. Leave a review! **


	3. Chapter 3: The Bed Situation

**The next chapter! Enjoy! **

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Elspeth found herself walking down to the Great Hall the next morning. She was back to living at Hogwarts and she had no intention of staying holed up in their quarters. She paused mid-step when she realized that she might encounter Severus. Dismissing that thought entirely, she didn't really care if she saw him or not.

"Miss Bryony! What in heaven's name are you doing here?!" her former head of house said in genuine surprise.

Elspeth turned to look at Professor Flitwick. She always loved him; his sunny disposition always put a smile on her face.

"It's Mrs. Snape now, Professor. I've come for some breakfast," she explained a small smile on her face.

"The Marriage Law?" Flitwick asked, sounding sympathetic.

Elspeth merely nodded.

"Wretched proclamation! Forcing marriages! Dreadful business. Well, come along, my dear. Spouses are allowed to dine at the Staff table," he said, ushering how towards the Great Hall.

The rest of the teaching staff seemed to overcome the fact that Elspeth Bryony was now in fact Elspeth Snape rather fast. She, however, struggled to call all of her former professors by their first names.

"After all, we are no longer your teachers," Minerva reminded her after she called her Professor.

"I'm sure we'll become good friends," Poppy Pomfrey admitted once she discovered that Elspeth had become a Healer.

"I'd like that. If you need any assistance in the Hospital Wing, I'd be glad to help," Elspeth added.

"I might take up your offer," Poppy said before leaving to go back to the Hospital Wing.

The teachers seemed pleased with Elspeth and over the course of breakfast she became more and more comfortable around them. She supposed she would be completely relaxed around them by the end of the week. Elspeth excused herself from the table and said she would see them all at lunch.

"Bring your elusive husband with you! He holes himself up in the dungeons and seldom makes appearances except at dinner," Minerva said.

Elspeth mustered a weak smile towards them before slowly making her exit out of the Great Hall, trying her best to ignore the blatant stares and mutterings of the student population.

"She'll be good for him," Filius said quietly to Minerva.

The Transfiguration Professor smiled sadly, "Aye, if he lets her in."

[~]

Lunch time came and went without incident. Albus requested that they meet for tea sometime in the next week or two, whenever her work schedule allowed it. She gladly accepted his invitation to tea and would let him know the day by tomorrow. Overall, she was fitting in quite nicely among the Staff. If only things were okay between her and Severus. She hadn't seen him since the night before and she vaguely wondered how long he would ignore her. If she was going to be honest, she had been ignoring him too.

She discovered that she was alone in their quarters and plopped down onto the couch. Emitting a sigh, she got herself comfy and started to reread the Potions magazine with genuine interest. However, her restless night started to take its toll on her and she found her eyelids drooping. She was asleep within half an hour.

Elspeth jolted awake to the clock chiming the half hour. A surge of panic threatened to overwhelm her until she looked at the mantlepiece. Sighing in relief, she realized it was four-thirty, she still had an hour till she started work. Sitting up, she stared in confusion at the quilt draped over her. It was the quilt that her Great Auntie Lucy made for her years ago. She distinctly remembered draping it over the armchair this morning. Knowing that besides herself, Severus was the only one that has access to these quarters. She smiled softly. So he wasn't ignoring her entirely. More importantly, he cared about her well-being, even if it was only a little. He could have just left her alone, but he covered her with a blanket instead.

It was a start.

Knowing this, she neatly folded the blanket and placed it onto the sofa. She decided she would take her time getting ready for work. Walking towards the mahogany desk, she quickly penned a note explaining her whereabouts. Waltzing into the bedroom, she got ready for work.

[~]

Elspeth stumbled out of their fireplace at twelve-fifteen in the morning completely exhausted. She ended up working in both wards she specialized in and to say the least, her shift had been hell. Rubbing her eyes, she blindly made her way towards the bedroom. In her tired state, she failed to notice that the couch was unoccupied.

She let out a small gasp when she saw Severus sleeping in the bed. Normally, her nerves would have caused her to hesitate in the doorway, but she was so bloody tired that she quickly got her pajamas and changed into them as fast as she could. He was facing the wall, so she couldn't see his face, but she assumed he was asleep. She slowly crawled into bed and got settled. Not ten minutes later she was soon fast asleep.

Her last coherent thought before she fell asleep was that she was supposed to be still mad at her husband.

[~]

Although Severus would never admit it out loud, he loved Fridays. Fridays meant the weekend, and on weekends he could focus entirely on his projects currently brewing away in his personal lab. It was proving to be an uneventful day concerning his students. No cauldrons boiling over and thankfully, no explosions. That didn't mean that Severus let up on his students. Oh no, Severus was as dark and as moody as ever.

The second year Hufflepuff and Gryffindor class was rather uneventful - they were brewing a simple cure for boils. His so-called peace was disrupted when his wife quietly entered his classroom. The last five minutes were the longest in his life. Her eyes never strayed from his form, her expression for once unreadable. Thankfully his students didn't notice her walking in.

The clock chimed the half hour.

"Class is dismissed!" he barked, causing many of the students to jump in their seats.

Severus watched as each student bottled up their potions and placed them on his desk. The students scurried out of his classroom within five minutes. He briefly looked at Elspeth before gesturing for her to follow him into his office. He walked straight through his office and into his personal lab. Elspeth was curious as to what he was brewing, so she followed him in.

He briefly glanced at her, but made no comment about her being in his lab without permission. She was competent enough to be in here.

Elspeth observed him put on some shabby gloves as he added some ingredients to one of the cauldrons. She was surprised to find such a shabby pair in his possession. He had just received his potions mastery, he should know better to use only dragonhide gloves in potionmaking.

"Can I help you with something?" Severus asked when he was done checking his projects.

"I was wondering if you would walk down to lunch with me," Elspeth asked, clasping her hands in front of her.

Severus turned to look at her fully. She seemed shy, timid even. He found himself offering her a small smile.

"Let's go then," he said quietly.

Elspeth offered him a bright smile before leaving the room. Severus trailed behind, never realizing what a nice pair of legs his wife had.

[~]

Severus was reading in the sitting room later that night. Elspeth had already gone to bed almost two hours before. He had a glass of Muggle whiskey on the rocks in his left hand. Suddenly the fire roared to life and gracefully emerging from the hearth was none other than Lucius Malfoy.

"Severus, glad to see you're still awake," he said, brushing some soot off his shoulder.

"Lucius, what a pleasant surprise. Care for a drink?" Severus drawled, closing his book.

Lucius nodded before sitting down in the opposite armchair, running a hand over his tired face.

"My godson giving you problems?" Severus asked, handing the platinum blonde a glass of whiskey.

"Bless you," Lucius said before taking a generous sip of the amber liquid.

"That bad, huh?" Severus asked with a slight grimace on his face.

"They say that two year olds are terrible but Draco seems to be experiencing them prematurely. He's not even eighteen months yet," Lucius muttered.

Severus made a sympathetic noise before going to refill his tumbler.

"Of course, I'm also at the Ministry almost every day trying to regain the Malfoy reputation. It's exhausting."

"You're a Malfoy, for Merlin's sake. Stop your whining," Severus said as he reclaimed his seat.

Lucius mustered a dignified glare at his good friend. Severus just chuckled. It was rare to see Lucius' feathers so ruffled, so for once Severus allowed this divergent behavior. The two good friends remained in silence for a good ten minutes and Severus always marveled at how Muggle whiskey always relaxed Lucius.

The Lord of Malfoy Manor was resting his head against the back of the chair with his eyes closed. The worry line on his forehead was relaxed and he looked much younger than his twenty-four years.

"Severus you're still awake? I thought- Oh!"

Elspeth let out a small squeak and quickly ducked back into their room to grab a robe to cover herself. Seconds later she emerged, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"I was just going to make myself tea. Would any of you care for some?" she asked quickly making her way over to the small kitchen.

"No, thank you. I'm quite content with my whiskey," Lucius said, staring at her intently.

Elspeth nodded before looking at Severus. He shook his head. She quickly went into the kitchen, closing the door behind her.

"Who the bloody hell was that?" Lucius asked, staring at Severus in shock.

"My wife," Severus stated simply, a smirk gracing his features.

Lucius' mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but no words came out.

"Marriage Law. We've only been married for a couple weeks," Severus stated.

Lucius nodded, taking in that information. A few minutes later, Elspeth walked out of the kitchen with a steaming cup of tea in her hands.

"Good night, Severus, Mr. Malfoy," she stated quietly.

"Please call me Lucius," he said with a slight purr in his voice.

Elspeth blushed and quickly rushed into their bedroom. Severus narrowed his eyes at his friend. He didn't like the looks Lucius was giving her.

"_Since when did you become so possessive of her?"_ Snape thought.

Lucius turned to look at his friend and smirked.

"I propose a toast. To your wife!" he said, holding up his glass.

"My wife," Severus said, still deep in thought. Downing the contents of his glass, he felt an overwhelming need to join his wife in bed.

And so he did, after promptly kicking Lucius out of their quarters. Lucius found his friend's behavior intriguing to say the least. He couldn't wait to tell Narcissa about it.

* * *

**A.N: Ahh, Lucius! I can guarantee you that he and Cissy shall be making many appearances in this story! Tell me what you think! **

**Thanks to all of those who have followed/favorited/reviewed this story! **


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